Commander of United States Africa Command to Speak at BU
General William E. Ward to address Africa and U.S. security interests at APARC forum
The African Presidential Archives and Research Center (APARC) at Boston University is hosting a forum and videoconference with General William E. Ward, commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), on Wednesday, October 22. Ward will speak on AFRICOM, the newly formed U.S. military command for Africa, addressing the future of U.S.-Africa relations and AFRICOM’s effect on American security interests. Taking part in the forum by videoconference are Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, Morehouse College in Georgia, Morgan State University in Delaware, and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
AFRICOM is one of six unified geographic commands within the Department of Defense unified command structure; it is devoted solely to Africa. Unlike traditional unified commands, AFRICOM focuses on war prevention rather than war fighting. It works with African nations and organizations to build regional security and crisis-response capacity in support of U.S. government efforts in Africa.
“Africa’s military, strategic, and economic importance is growing in global affairs,” says Charles R. Stith, director of APARC and former U.S. ambassador to Tanzania. “AFRICOM shows the United States is focusing security interests on a continent where 89 percent of its nations have a substantial Islamic presence; its reservoir of strategic minerals is becoming increasingly vital to the U.S. economy; and internal conflicts continue to weaken states, creating an ideal breeding ground for terrorist groups.”
APARC is focusing on AFRICOM because of the potential backlash against the Bush administration’s Africa initiatives in reaction to what are perceived as broader foreign policy failures. The ongoing war in Iraq has caused a precipitous drop in the administration’s approval rating, and both John McCain and Barack Obama are running against Bush’s foreign policy agenda. APARC sees a real possibility that the next U.S. president will be tempted to dash all Bush foreign initiatives and start anew, resulting in Africa falling further down the list of foreign policy priorities. This forum will examine AFRICOM’s role in defense, diplomacy, and development.
APARC was established to chronicle trends and developments related to democratization and free-market reform in Africa. It was founded by Stith, who holds a faculty appointment in the College of Arts and Sciences department of international relations. In addition to providing a forum for discussing Africa’s global relationships, APARC hosts former democratically elected African presidents through its African President-in-Residence program and annually publishes the African Leaders State of Africa Report.
United States Africa Command: Moving Forward in Partnership, APARC’s AFRICOM Forum with General William E. Ward, is on Wednesday, October 22, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Photonics Center, 8 Saint Mary’s St., ninth floor.
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